Looking for a Mentor!

[Luisa917]

Hi, I am looking to get into the Airbnb business in NC! With everything being completely new to me, I would love to find a mentor to help me through this path of starting. 

[Sarah977]

@Luisa917  You should start by reading all of the Help articles for hosts on the main Airbnb site. Read all the policies and the Terms of Service. Then follow this and other hosting forums, where you will be learning from many hosts, not just one. Ask any questions about things you aren't clear on, and when you finally decide you are ready to host, you can post your new listing here and ask for critiques and feedback. 

I see you have travelled as a guest, so think about the things you liked about the places you stayed and what you might have done differently, or provided, had you been the host.

Consider your target market. Don't try to attract everyone, concentrate on offering something that will work for a certain demographic of guest. 

What works for young urban professionals or digital nomads is not the same thing that works for families, or solo travelers, or outdoorsy types coming to hike and bike. There are cross-overs in those, but you get my drift.

And also consider what will work for you, as a host. If you have another job, don't stress yourself out trying to turn over your Airbnb the same day in 3 hours, leave a day between bookings. If you are home-share hosting, think about how long you think you could put up with a guest you weren't fond of (my minimum is 3 days, as I don't want to clean and prepare for 1 or 2 nighters, and a 2 week max, in case they're annoying).

The way hosts market and run their Airbnbs is quite individual and there are many ways to do it, and many perspectives.

[Linda108]

@Sarah977  offers excellent advice as you launch into this business.  There are two areas to consider.  One is the hospitality business in general and this platform in particular.  I can't stress enough for you to read everything Air BNB offers in the Help Center about policies and procedures.  Along with the terms of agreement, you will be held to act according to this company's terms.  I gather you have not set up a listing as yet so some aspects of this CC are not available to you until you do.  Still, you will see valuable discussions about situations, decision making, and dealing with the public that you might not relate to until you are in the situation.

When I started almost 7 years ago, not only did I not know ANYTHING about the business, I was not very computer savvy and the platform baffled me all the time.  I wanted someone to be a mentor and thought the guy who recruited me in the area would be that person.  I was quickly disabused of that idea and had to use my own curiosity and effort to get to a level of comfort.  This forum was very helpful on both the platform procedures and the business perspective. 

One consideration  for you to be aware, while there are many, many hosts who devote much time and effort to helping new hosts via this forum, @Sarah977  is one of the best, there are also professional hosts that will offer to be a PAID mentor.  Some areas have FB groups, which is helpful in navigating the specifics of the city.  Look into that as well.  Good luck and keep coming back.  Linda

[Sarah977]

@Luisa917  Another thing to be aware of is that what leads to great guest reviews has little to do with the type of place you are hosting. The simplest of accommodations, with second hand, repainted or repurposed funiture can get solid 5 star reviews, and places with seemingly all the bells and whistles can get complaints and poor reviews. 

High cleanliness standards, a really comfy bed, everything in good repair, and a place that anticipates what a guest might need (a reading lamp by the bed, convenient electrical outlets, plenty of hangars, spare toothbrushes in case they forgot theirs) are more important than spending a lot of money on expensive furnishings, unless you are planning on a high-end, expensive rental. Guests have no idea whether you paid a lot for that cool, unusual chair, or whether you found it by the side of the road on garbage day and painted it up yourself and made a nice cushion for it on your sewing machine.

And guests can be hard on things, so aim for easy to clean, easy to keep clean. No upholstered couches that need a professional to clean- better to have slipcovers you can throw in the wash when you find pizza stains on it.

[Till-and-Jutta0]

@Luisa917 There are free webinars from Airbnb Brand Ambassadors https://www.airbnb.com/ambassadors/joinaclass

and the Ambassadors will help you to put your first listing and to receive your first booking.

[Helen3]

Do you know how much Airbnb ambassadors get paid for signing up new members @Till-and-Jutta0 ?

[Till-and-Jutta0]

@Helen3 More details about the Airbnb Brand Ambassador Program you will find there:

https://www.airbnb.com/ambassadors

[Helen3]

It doesn't tell you how much you get paid in the information you linked to - hence I'm asking you as one of the hosts Airbnb chose to represent us @Till-and-Jutta0 

[Till-and-Jutta0]

So sorry @Helen3 It seems to be a more complex program, consisting of chances and expectations. I can provide just the information we see as hosts:

The help center contains much more info - if you dive in (which I didn't) you will see it's not so easy (talking about payments / coupons).

I'm afraid, at the end only the support can help if you have a specific question about your individual participation at this program. Not sure, if there are general payment plans worldwide.

[Lorna170]

@Luisa917   First, go online and familiarize yourself with the NC Vacation Rental Act: https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/ByChapter/Chapter_42A.html

Second:  While people who rent through AirBnB are supposed to abide by the AirBnB "contract", you should develop your own rental agreement and provide a copy of it to each renter.  Under the NC vacation rental act, this is a requirement of renting, and the guest having paid a company to rent your accommodation implies consent, as long as they have a copy sent to them and have acknowledged it.  

Third, you will have to pay taxes on your earnings, and these are paid by reporting to the State, the County, and your municipality on the State Sales and Use Tax Form:   https://www.ncdor.gov/     

You should report these earnings and taxes due even though AirBnB is collecting them from the guest and paying them on your behalf.  I file reports monthly for NC and Buncombe County and I provide a spreadsheet of the taxes paid by my guests to my accountant for my Federal return.

Thats a start....good luck!

Talk to an insurance agent about a policy for your house or separate property that will protect you from damages by a vacation renter.  These policies are different from a regular home policy and will cost more.  DO NOT rely on AirBnB to protect you from any damages; their insurance is a joke, and AirBnB does not collect a damage deposit from your renters.